Chai Lattes & Hidden Cottages || Appledore, Devon

It was the coldest of days, and the most unexpected. I had planned to hibernate all day, a slow Sunday mixed with a few house chores and cuddling the hot water bottle on the sofa. Instead, our friends text to see if we wanted to go for a walk, an offer we couldn’t refuse.

The plan was to go to the beach, but with the winds practically arctic, we went to the nearby village of Appledore instead. It was still on the river – so we couldn’t escape the wind completely, but that’s the trouble with living in Devon, you are never too far away from the water.

Our first stop was The Coffee Cabin, a cute cafe right on the quay with limited seating and glorious cakes. I had my new favourite drink, a Chai Latte, while our friends shared a slice of the most spectacular Victoria Sponge with fresh raspberries.

Filling our bellies, we went on the hunt for hidden cottages. Appledore is like something straight out of a postcard, with colourful higgledy-piggledy cottages, hidden courtyards and glimpses of river-side views. Our friend knew of a small pink cottage, the tiniest of houses tucked away, hidden from the swathe of tourists that Appledore attracts.

I haven’t visited Appledore in a few years, and it has only been in the summer when the village comes alive with people on the hunt for the best fish and chips, ice-cream from ice-cream trucks and kids loaded with buckets and crabbing nets. Me and David have sworn we would visit again, and our little winter-trip has only made certain this summer will be the summer we join in and play tourist, eating chip shop chips and admiring the beauty of the village in the sunshine.